I'm taking the plunge! My surgery is scheduled...

1 Aug 2014

25 days pre

I'm taking the plunge! My surgery is scheduled for August 27th. I have been wanting to do this for my entire adult life. I've always been a small 34A at 5'6" weighing about 125. It's never been a good time. I wanted to wait until after we had children and now after breastfeeding my three girls for a year each (oldest is 5 now and our twins are 2) it's my time! I went to three consultations and settled on Dr. Ankit Desai. I'm planning on getting 350 cc silicone under the muscle. I want a really natural look and am terrified of getting them too big. I am having some serious anxiety over choosing the size. I'm looking for a full B or small C I think. EEEK!

CC Anxiety

3 Aug 2014

23 days pre

All I keep thinking about is if 350cc is going to be too big. I really want to look natural. In fact, I would be thrilled if most people didn't even know I got this done! My ps said that you lose about 50cc going under the muscle so I keep walking around with rice sizers on equaling about 300cc. I don't want the mistake of going too big and of course don't want any regrets either about going too small. I'm wondering if 300cc would look better on me.

Back to sizers...

4 Aug 2014

22 days pre

I've been a nervous wreck about choosing a size. I really don't want to go too big. I'm even losing sleep over this. I've become obsessed with searching for before and after picture of women with similar stats. I almost asked a random woman on the street what size bra she wore! Thank goodness my common sense intervened. I emailed the lovely coordinator at my doctor's office and she happily is fitting me for another chance to try on sizers. We're going to do this at my pre-op appointment on the 22nd. I think I just need to relax until then! I feel like this decision has taken over my life. Anyone else have this much anxiety over sizes?

Pre-op appointment

22 Aug 2014

4 days pre

I had my pre-op appointment this afternoon and my patient coordinator took just about all of my anxiety away. She went over all of my paperwork and gave me my prescriptions. (I dropped them off at my pharmacy on my way home just so I can get everything in order) After all of the signatures and last minute questions, I tried on sizers again. I'm feeling pretty confident with my choice of 350 HP but I'm going to bring my wish pictures with me to the surgery just to review with my surgeon. My only fear is they will be a little too big but I'm going to leave the amount up to him. I made 20 freezer meals this last week and I'm going to catch up on all laundry and clean the house on Monday and Tuesday. I'm picking my mom up at the airport on Tuesday and she'll be staying with us for a little over a week. All of the details are taken care of...it's getting exciting!

Recovery

30 Aug 2014

3 days post

My husband and I arrived at the surgery center early Wednesday morning and the nurses were extremely kind. Once I was ready, my surgeon came in and went over the surgery and what to expect. I voiced my concern about going to big and he took the time to review the look I wanted and we decided to go down to 325 (originally thought 350). He never made me feel rushed and took all the time he needed to answer any questions my husband had. I really could not say enough great things about him and his staff. The anesthesiologist came in and talked me through the process and I don't remember anything else! I don't remember the operating room or anything until the nurse woke me up in recovery. I was a little sore in the recovery room so she gave me some more meds. I was really groggy the rest of the day. I couldn't keep any food or water down the rest of the day or day 2 so my Dr. called in some anti-nausea meds. They actually worked but I can't believe how much better I felt after I stopped taking the heavy meds. On day 3 I started switching to extra-strength Tylenol and I actually haven't taken any medication (besides my anti-biotic) since 5am this morning. I thought I would be more sore but I'm really not! The digestive issues were way worse for me than the actual pain from the surgery. My best advice to anyone who hasn't had this surgery yet is to stay ahead of the constipation and work out your lower body. I have been going to the gym about 5 times a week for the past 18 months and I really think that made a difference in my recovery. It really comes in handy to be able to use your leg and ab muscles. Now I just have to wait for them to drop. I don't see a difference in day 1 and day 4 but I feel so much better so I'm very happy about that! I'm hoping to be a small C. When do I get to wear a real bra? I'm in an ace bandage and I see my Dr. on Tuesday morning.

Pictures

30 Aug 2014

3 days post

Post Op

3 Sep 2014

7 days post

I had a great post-op appointment the other day. Everything is healing just like it should and I feel great. I get a little worn down easier but I'm making sure to rest when I can.

New updates:
I got to take that awful ace bandage off and switch to a sports bra. I need to wear a sports bra almost all of the time except for showers.
I can sleep on my side or back.
I still cannot exercise for at least 2 more weeks.
Use anti-biotic cream on my incisions twice a day.

Three things that I think helped my recovery go well.
I started working out a lot about 18 months ago when I discovered that an hour of working at gym meant an hour of alone time since the gym has a daycare :) I work out about 5 times a week and I think my ab and leg strength really helped my recovery. It was a lot easier to get up and move around using my lower body.
I also started "training" the twins a few weeks before the surgery. I got a little step stool for the car, kitchen, and the bedroom for them to climb into (with assistance) the car seats, booster seats, and cribs. It wasn't stressful at all 3 days after my surgery when I started getting back into our routine.
Possibly most importantly, I started using the support system on this site. You ladies made such a huge impact on this entire process for me! I barely told anyone about having this procedure done so this support system was especially important for me.

2 Week Update

11 Sep 2014

15 days post

Feeling great. My breasts, especially my nipples, are sore but its not too bad. The discomfort is just enough to remind me I just had a boob job! I'm looking forward to a time when they feel like mine and look more natural. I'm trying to be patient...I know it's so early and I just feel really grateful I finally did this.

I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Desai and his staff. Every step of the procedure (consultation, anxiety over choosing a size, a plethora of questions emailed to his patient coordinator, the surgery and staff at the surgical center, and the recovery) my expectations for Dr. Desai have been exceeded. I have been impressed with every step! I went to two other consultations and even though I am sure they are wonderful doctors also, I feel so confident I chose the right Dr. for me.